This invention relates to a method of controlling a drug conveyor system used to collect drugs in a pharmacy with good efficiency.
In a pharmacy in a big hospital, where a large variety of drugs have to be prepared for a great number of patients, drug preparation work can be done more efficiently if different types of drugs, such as powdered drugs, tablets, liquid drugs, external application drugs, etc. are prepared separately.
In one conventional way, a single conveyor line is provided in a pharmacy. Powdered drug, tablets, etc. are packed in pouches, dropped into buckets running on the conveyor, and collected one place. Then, after checking if the drugs have been prepared as prescribed, the pouches are put in a bag and handed to a patient.
Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. 4-179616 discloses an improved drug preparation arrangement, in which a main conveyor and an auxiliary conveyor are used. A larger main bucket and smaller auxiliary buckets are run on the main and auxiliary conveyors, respectively. They are in their stand-by positions. Drugs prepared in the respective drug preparation stations are put in the corresponding smaller buckets and collected into the main bucket.
In the former method, in which different types of drugs are prepared and packed separately for each patient, if it takes too long a time to prepare one type of drugs for a given patient, not only the bucket for this patient but all the remaining buckets have to be stopped on the conveyor until the one type of drugs is prepared. Thus, it is impossible to process drugs in the later stage at first even if these drugs can be prepared quickly. Working efficiency is thus not high enough.
The latter method is free of this problem. But the system for carrying out this method comprises main and auxiliary conveyers and thus tends to be large in size and costly. Such a system can be used only in a big hospital.
An object of this invention is to provide an efficient, less expensive and simple method of controlling a straight or looped drug conveyor line.